At Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, NC, salads are now a popular choice at lunchtime, thanks to the help of the school’s agriculture students, a state celebrity and a savvy marketing plan by the school nutrition department.
As part of the high school’s agriculture class, students grow a variety of greens that are used in the cafeteria’s salads. The class is also helping get younger children excited about farming and healthy choices by hosting field trips for elementary students to visit the greenhouse. The agriculture students explain the growing process to the younger students and show them how to harvest the lettuce. To complete the farm-to-fork experience, the students also help carry the greens down to the cafeteria and see how the salads are prepared.
To encourage more students to choose the salads in the lunch line, the nutrition department began calling them “Mustang Salads” after the high school’s Mustang mascot, and started advertising that salads include student-grown lettuce.
The staff seized a golden opportunity when University of North Carolina head basketball coach Roy Williams visited the school on a recruitment trip. After hearing about the agriculture program, Mr. Williams agreed to endorse the new “Mustang Salads.” Thanks to this state celebrity’s photo and endorsement letter, more students are enjoying fresh salads at lunchtime.
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